Longest chapter yet!

I'm at 4,490 words. That's before commentary (:

This is my favorite chapter yet. No joke.

Lots of emotions. Lots of heartache. Lots of love (:

That's all I'm gonna say.

Well, that, and I'm seriously adoring this story. ADORING. I love the roller coaster ride this has taken me on, and I hope you guys are enjoying it as much as I am (:

I don't own Danny Phantom or the song at the end of this chapter.

Enjoy (:

Darkness

Chapter Eight: The War Keeps Raging On

December 30, 2011

Jazz was a bit apprehensive about watching her DVD. She placed it in her laptop and watched as it was cued up. She looked at Sam, who had a small smile on her face. As if she were totally at peace with the idea that she was dead. That this was her last message to Danny's older sister.

Sam and Jazz had never had a particularly strong relationship. Sam put up with Jazz because she was Danny's big sister. She was smart. She did come in handy once in a blue moon during ghost fights. Jazz admired Sam's strength, her utter disregard for the negative opinions of others. Often, she wished she could be as brave as Sam. She wished she could sprint head first into certain death without so much as a backwards glance the way that girl did. But mostly, she envied Sam. She envied the way Sam could hold Danny's attention for so long. How he could be thinking about her, unconsciously organizing his life around her, even when she wasn't around. Jazz was supposed to be his sister. He was supposed to look up to her, not Sam.

But that was all over now. The center of his world was gone. And he was left trying to reestablish his center of gravity. How strange, how difficult it must be for him to be faced with such an impossible task. It would be so interesting to observe, to take notes. It would make one hell of an application essay for colleges...but that's no way to think! After all, he is my little brother, I should be feeling awful for him. I should be trying to help him, not observe the way he grieves her life!

She wondered what Sam would have to say to her. If she would have anything to say at all. Of course she has something to say, Jazz thought reasonably. Why else would she make a DVD for me?

Cautiously, as if it were a bomb on the verge of exploding, Jazz pressed play.

"Hey Jazz," Sam waved, smiling awkwardly. "If you're watching this, it means I'm dead." She paused, glancing down at her hands, before continuing. "And if I'm dead...I need you to do something for me. Danny and Tucker...they don't know how to handle life without me. I know that sounds selfish and self-centered, but honestly, they don't. They need someone to keep them grounded, to keep them from doing stupid things. Jazz, I need you to look after them. Make sure they keep functioning. I'm sorry that I died. I left you in a bit of a mess. I'm assuming they're both upset...unless things have drastically changed since I made this video. I'm hoping they haven't. I'm getting off-topic...look, I need you to take care of them. Please. It's the last thing I'll ever ask of you. Literally. I'm sorry you and I were never better friends. I...well, I was always a little intimidated by you. I would get so nervous when you came around, because you're nowhere near as clueless as Danny. I knew you knew the way I felt about him...and I was always so afraid that you would tell him. You may have, who knows? Anyways," She took a deep breath. "Jazz, you're amazing. You really are. You'll have colleges begging you to come to them, paying you to attend school with them. I just know you will."

Jazz allowed one sob to escape her chest, before clamping her hand over her mouth. No one could hear her. Not yet.

"Do you remember the night Vortex came to Amity Park? As a fire storm?" Jazz nodded, remembering the sheer terror of that evening. Sam and Danny had gotten seperated from the rest of the group; they were trapped in the basement of an old house on the edge of town while the rest were escorted into a ghost-proof bunker the town had invested in per her parent's request. "I wrote a song about it. It was one of the most terrifying nights of my life. Danny and I almost died. There's a second scene of this DVD, it's the song. I want you to listen to it...and when he's ready...show Danny. But make sure he only hears that song after he watches his DVD. Okay?" Jazz nodded again, not caring that Sam couldn't really see her. "Thank you, Jazz. For everything. I...I love you. I'm sorry I was never nicer to you while I was alive."

Jazz blinked the tears out of her eyes. The second scene was starting. Sam was settled on her bed, a guitar in her hands. She was looking down at the strings. She began to strum a soft, haunting melody. Her voice was clear and high, just as haunting as the melody of the strings. It fit the evening it was written on perfectly.

When she was finished singing, she shot one last half-apologetic, half-longing look at the camera, before the screen went black. That was all Jazz had left of the gothic woman who was once going to be her sister-in-law. There had been no doubt in Jazz's mind that Danny and Sam would get married. It was just a matter of how long it took Danny to realize what a dolt he was. To ask her out. The rest of their lives would fall into place after that. It all hinged on when Danny would overcome his fear of rejection.

But it appeared that he overcame too late. She was gone, snatched from him and the rest of the world, before he even had a chance to say the words he had been feeling for weeks. Months. Years, even.

Jazz clenched her jaw, closing her eyes and allowing the tears to spill over. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair. Sam deserved a life, she deserved happiness. She deserved to be with Danny the way Jazz knew they both wanted to be with each other.

The overwhelming need to protect her brother, to take some of the pain he felt in his heart, to ease the strain of extreme loss suddenly washed all other thoughts from Jazz's overactive mind. She snatched Danny's DVD from her desk and quietly stole across the hallway. She knocked on his door. He did not reply. She did not expect him to.

She slid in, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. He was curled on his bed, his knees to his chest, staring at the wall. His eyes were bloodshot. His face was pale. He was trembling. Jazz practically ran across the room. She sat beside him and held him, her arms wrapping tightly around his shoulders. He leaned into her, closing his eyes for a moment. She rocked him back and forth in small, comforting movements. She ran her fingers through his hair, gently massaging his scalp the way she knew he liked. She felt him shaking with effort to not cry.

"It's okay. You can let go."

And the floodgates broke.

Tucker stood in the center of his bedroom when he got back home. His laptop was still open, though the screen was black. He glanced down at the DVD in his hand, wondering if he was prepared for what was on it. He wondered what Sam would say to him. He wondered how he would react to it.

I shouldn't have to be thinking about this, he thought angrily. She should be here, telling me what a moron I am. She shouldn't be dead. She should freaking be here. She should be telling Danny how she feels about him, because everyone knows but him. He should be telling her how he feels about her, because everyone knows but her. They should date. They should get married. And they should live happily ever after, giving hope to everyone that true love does exist. That maybe life isn't a hopelessly lost cause.

Tucker glared at his reflection in the mirror. I should have protected her better. I swore to Danny I would protect her. With my life. I failed him.

It's my fault.

He threw himself into his computer chair, replacing the first DVD with the second one with rough, choppy movements. He pressed play.

"Hey, Tuck. If you're watching this, I'm dead." She paused. His heart broke all over again. "And it's not your fault."

He paused the DVD. He closed his eyes. "It's not your fault." So she knew he would blame himself. Even before she knew the way she would die, she knew he would blame himself. Perceptive little goth. He pressed play.

"Tuck, you're my best friend. I'm so grateful to have known you. You are the single most funny, charming guy I've ever known. Somewhere out there, there's a girl for you. Just...when you meet her...try to lay off on the pick-up lines..." He laughed. She knew him too well.

"I hope I made you laugh just now." He smiled. "And I hope you're still smiling." He shook his head, his grin widening. "Quit shaking your head!" He threw his hands up defensively, as if she could see him. Because for a second, it felt like she could see his movements. She laughed for a moment, before her smile faded into a more serious gaze. "Look...I'm sorry I died. Now don't go getting mad at me for apologizing what I more than likely couldn't control. I'm sorry. Really. I wanted to be there to see you graduate, go to college, find a job, get married. Have kids. I wanted to be Auntie Sam more than anything in the world. And I'm sorry that I've missed it.

"I need you to do something for me. Again. I ask so much of you...I'm sorry. But I need you to watch over Danny. I need you to make sure that he doesn't do anything...stupid," Tucker nodded. He knew exactly what she meant. "He needs to stay alive. He's the only thing keeping Amity Park in one piece. Without him...everything will fall apart. Keep him going, for me." She smiled. "I don't really know what else to say, other than I love you so much more than you could ever imagine. Oh!" She slapped her hand to her forehead. She slid a drawer open and dug through, searching for something. Tucker leaned forward, peering at the drawer like if he leaned far enough, he would be able to see whatever it was she was searching for. Finally, her face lit up. She lifted something from the drawer. Something gold. Something shining.

"It's the Orbint 5000. It's not supposed to be released into the market for another four years. I got it early. For you." She smiled, tears welling in her eyes. "It's right here, in this desk drawer. Under a wooden shelf. Next time you're in my room, grab it." Tucker realized his mouth was hanging open in shock. "Don't try to not take it. I'm dead. It's not of any use to me anymore." She looked at the camera for a moment, her face twisted with sadness. "I love you Tucker. Forever. No matter where I am, in this world or whatever lies beyond. Don't you ever forget that." She stared at the camera for a moment longer, before smiling. "It goes on. It always goes on. Love you, Tuck." She blew him a kiss. The screen went black.

Tucker leaned back in his chair, his heart racing. How did she get her hands on that? Four years before it's released to the public? The Orbint 4000 hadn't even been released yet...she is incredible.

She was incredible.

Danny clung to Jazz like she was his last link to life. She leaned back, her back resting agains the headboard of his bed. She waited patiently for him to cry himself out. Finally, he quieted. His arms were still wrapped tightly around her waist, his head resting in the dip between her shoulder and neck, when he spoke for the first time since the phone call with Tucker at Vlad's mansion.

"She...she's...d-d..."

"I know, sh-h-h. You don't have to tell me. I know."

And that was just one of the many blessed qualities of his older sister. She knew. Always. He never had to explain himself. She just understood.

He sensed that there was something she was keeping from him. Something she wanted to tell him, but was afraid of how he would respond.

"What?"

"She...she left something. For you."

Danny tensed. Sam...left something? She knew she would die?

"She left me and Tucker something too. I think it was a...just in case...kind of a deal."

"What is it?"

"A video."

He paused. "Do you have it with you?"

"Yes."

"I want to watch it."

"Right now?"

"Yes."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No."

He felt her nod. His laptop was at the foot of his bed. She leaned forward and grabbed it, popping a CD with his name into the slot. It whirred for a moment, before her face appeared on the monitor. Danny gasped, feeling a wave of sobs erupt in his chest. But he held them back. This was too important to miss because of his tears. Jazz pressed play.

"H-Hey, Danny," She bit her lip. She was nervous. "If...if you're watching this...then I'm dead." Danny shuddered. Ice lodged itself in what was left of his heart at her words. "Um...okay, look. This is the third time I've tried making this video for you. It was so simple with Jazz, Tucker, and the others. I just talked. It was so easy. But with you..." She paused, her violet eyes searching his through the screen. "Nothing's ever easy for me with you. Ever. There's something that I need to tell you. Something I hope I've already told you by the time you watch this. But, just in case I haven't...Danny, I love you. I'm in love with you. I have been for years and...and I'm sorry I never got the courage up to tell you to your face. I wish things had been different between us."

Danny closed his eyes for a moment, allowing her words to sink in. She had felt the same way. He missed his chance. "If you feel the same way...then...we're idiots, aren't we?" She laughed, glancing down at her hands. He nodded, a half-sob, half-laugh escaping his lips. "If you didn't feel the same way...then it's okay. Don't feel bad. I understand."

But her eyes told him that she didn't understand, and that she didn't ever want to understand. The same way he felt when he considered the possibility that she didn't love him the way he desperately loved her. "I do love you...so much..." He whispered. He touched the screen, his fingers dragging across her face. Jazz tightened her grip on Danny's shoulders, as if hoping she could keep him from falling over the edge.

"Okay. Well. I feel better. I'm not done yet, though. There are some other things that I need to tell you." She glanced down again. Bit her lip. "If I died in a ghost attack or something...it's not your fault. I don't care who or what or how or when or why, it's not your fault. At all. Ever. Okay?" He nodded. "Okay. Second, if you've completely shut down...snap out of it. I don't want you do turn into a hermit because I'm not around anymore. You have a job to do. You're Danny Phantom. You have other lives to protect. Your parents need their son. Jazz needs her brother. Tucker needs his best friend. And you need them too." She bit her lip again. She seemed to be battling herself for a moment, before coming to a resolve.

"You know what my favorite moment with you is?" He shook his head. "It's that afternoon you and I flew over Amity Park. Ember had put everyone but us in a trance. You were flying us to the music store. The sun was setting. It was beautiful outside. And you...you looked amazing. You looked so strong and fierce...like you could beat death itself if you wanted to." He remembered that flight. It was one of the best he'd ever had, mostly because of the girl he had been carrying beside him.

"Alright...well...I could literally keep talking forever. But I can't. Because you need to move on. Keep living. I'm not there anymore, and it makes no sense for you to dwell on something that no longer exists." He blinked, a single tear spilling over onto his face. "There's something on Jazz's DVD that I want you to watch, when you're ready. It's a song I wrote about the night Vortex came to Amity as a fire storm. You remember," He nodded, remembering that evening.

The ghost sirens started blaring at about 5 o'clock that evening. Everyone blinked, asking dumbly if it was a drill. Of course it wasn't a drill. There had only ever been one drill of the ghost alert system. It had been mass chaos then. But that drill couldn't even hold a candle to the pandamonium that broke out at the sound of those sirens. People streamed out of their houses and began to run aimlessly, screaming and pointing. The threat wasn't even in sight yet.

Danny tripped out of his house, jumping backwards from the people running, flattening himself against a wall. His parents were at his side in an instant, Jazz on their heels. There would be no chance to become Danny Phantom that night. Their grips were vice-like on his arms. He allowed them to cart him off in the direction of the Ghost Bunker.

"Stay here, we'll be back!" Maddie had shouted. She disappeared into the crowd with Jack at her side. Danny watched them go, his heard racing uneasily.

"They'll be back in time," Jazz said uncertainly.

Danny didn't respond. He was watching the entrance to the bunker, searching for his best friends and their families. He spotted Tucker's beret bobbing and weaving through the crowd. Spotted the immaculate hair that could belong to no one other than the Mansons. He scanned the flow of people carefully, searching for the jet-black ponytail belonging to his best friend. It did not appear.

"I have to go find her," Danny muttered to Jazz. Without waiting for a response, he raced into the oncoming crowd, fighting his way to the entrance. He sprinted down the sidewalk, ignoring his ghost sense. Sam's mansion slid into view; he could see her through her window sitting in her room on the second floor. She was listening to her music and fiddling on her laptop, oblivious to the mass chaos on the streets below her. Danny ducked into the alley behind her house, flashed to Phantom, and raced to her room.

"Come on, we have to go!" He shouted, ripping her headphones out of her ears. She jumped and shouted indignantly, obviously caught off-guard by his sudden appearence. He grabbed her and soared back out the window.

The streets were empty, he realized. He felt his heart sink. That would mean that the Ghost Bunker was sealed. Which meant that no one - human or ghost - could get in.

"Danny!" Sam screamed. He whipped around in time to dodge a huge fireball. Vortex was above them, laughing maniacally while he threw giant fireballs down on the city. Danny shot through the streets, squinting through the smoke, trying to find somewhere safe for them to hide. Finally, he saw it: an old house built entirely of concrete. He prayed that she would be protected from the flames as he phased through the walls and floors.

"Stay here!" He shouted as he dropped her in the basement. He was turning to leave when he felt her fingers close around his wrist.

"Don't leave me here alone!"

And that was all it took. Danny dropped to his feet and led her to a corner of the basement. He held her while she shook. The could hear the destruction outside the windows of the basement, which miraculously held. The attack went on all night. Danny peered through the window at one point. Everything was on fire. Sam tried to look after him, but he stopped her. "Don't you dare," He whispered. "Everything's on fire."

Her eyes widened. She leaned back, away from the window. He resumed his hold on her.

"That was literally the scariest night of my life," Sam said through the screen. "But at the same time...I felt so content. You were there with me. I don't think you ever actually opted out of a fight to stay with anyone before. I'm sorry I was selfish and asked you to do that. But I'm so glad you did," Danny smiled. He was glad he did too. It was one of the only times he ever felt like he could reveal everything to her. He didn't hide his feelings for her that night, the way he kissed the top of her head while she dozed off against his chest. Whispered that he would never leave her, never let her go. "Remember that night when you miss me. Remember the way I was just over your heart. I'll always be with you, as cheesy as that sounds." She smirked. "I love you. So much. Always, always, always."

The screen went black, but the vision of her face remained imprinted on the insides of his eyelids. Where he suspected it would remain for the rest of his life. She was there. He felt her in his heart, spreading warmth through his chest. He closed his eyes and smiled.

Jazz sniffed. Danny glanced up at her; tears were streaming down her face. "I think she wrote the song from your point of view," Jazz mumbled, her voice thick with tears. "I think she wrote it the way she thought you felt that night."

"I want to hear it," Danny whispered.

Jazz replaced Danny's DVD with her own. She skipped forward to the scene Sam intended for both of them to watch. She was sitting on her bed, a guitar in her lap. Danny held his breath and listened.

"The ghost is gone."

"Explain."

"Icestorm destroyed him."

"And what of the girl?"

"She is alive. She will live."

"Excellent. Excellent."

Safe & Sound

The Civil Wars and Taylor Swift

Original Soundtrack of The Hunger Games

I remember tears streaming down your face

When I said I'll never let you go

When all those shadows almost killed your light

I remember you said

'Don't leave me here alone!'

But all that's dead and gone and past

Tonight

Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound

Don't you dare look out your window

Darlin' everything's on fire

The war outside our door keeps raging on

Hold on to this lullabye

Even when the music's gone

Gone

Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound

Ooh

Ooh

Oh oh

Oh oh

Ooh

Ooh

Oh oh

Oh oh

Just close your eyes

You'll be alright

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound

Ooh

Ooh oh

Ooh

Ooh oh

Ooh

Ooh oh

Ooh

Ooh oh

Ooh

Ooh oh

Ooh

Ooh oh

If you haven't heard that song yet, GO TO YOUTUBE AND LISTEN TO IT. NOW. I COMMAND YOU.

I can't stop shivering at the sound of her voice. Gah.

Hehe. I don't know what else to say. :D

I love you for reading this!

Stay tuned! (:

- Tori